Speaking in tongues is not a sin. Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit and actually, the Bible encourages us to practice it.
A believer should not have fear that speaking in tongues might be a sin against God. If you believe in Jesus, you automatically receive the Holy Spirit and with Him come all the gifts including speaking in tongues.
The fear of speaking in tongues being a sin is an agenda of the devil to scare people from receiving the gift of praying in tongues.
God operates with faith, the devil operates with fear. The word of God encourages us to have faith and enjoy blessings from God. The Bible tells us that we have not received the Spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.
Asking if speaking in tongues is a sin is a sign that you need to build your faith.
Dealing with the Fear of Speaking in Tongues being a Sin
You have to deal with the fear of speaking in tongues being a sin. If you don’t, this fear will hinder you from experiencing the benefits of speaking in tongues.
To overcome fear, you need faith. To build faith, you need knowledge.
Here are tips to help you overcome the fear of speaking in tongues being a sin.
1. Speaking in Tongues is a Gift given by God
Speaking in tongues is a gift that God gives us to enable us to pray efficiently. Praying in tongues is simply allowing the Spirit of God to use your tongue to pray to God.
Even though you may not understand what the Spirit of God is saying through your tongue, it works for your good.
Since the gift of speaking in tongues is given by God, how can it be a sin? If it were a sin, God would not give it to us.
Remember the Bible says that God does not tempt us neither is He tempted. This means that God can never trick us to sin. It is the devil who tempts us.
Therefore, assure yourself that speaking in tongues is not a sin because it is given by God. We receive the gift of speaking in tongues by praying to God. There is no way it can be a sin.
2. Speaking in Tongues can be proven
The Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Whenever we sin against God, the Holy Spirit notifies us that what we have done is a sin.
It is then our responsibility to humble ourselves and ask God to forgive us. From the Bible, we have the assurance that if we confess our sins, God is just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If speaking in tongues was a sin, the Holy Spirit would convict you to stay away from it. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is clear and anyone who believes in Jesus gets it.
Speaking in tongues is proven right by the Spirit of God Himself. He proves it by accompanying it with power.
The power that we receive from speaking in tongues enables us to live holy lives for God. How can speaking in tongues be a sin and at the same time enable us to live holy lives?
Because speaking in tongues can be proven, it is definitely not a sin
3. Sinning is done Consciously
Nobody ever sins without knowing. All sins start with a temptation. It is only after someone gives in to the temptation that sin occurs.
Speaking in tongues cannot be a sin because nobody ever gets tempted to speak in tongues. With speaking in tongues, we get prompted to do it.
The Spirit of God prompts believers to speak in tongues. The devil tempts believers to sin.
When you sin, you know it because the Spirit of God convicts you. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they felt horrible. Even before God came to them, they hid themselves.
When you speak in tongues, you become bold. It is the exact opposite of the fear that grips you when you sin.
4. Speaking in Tongues yields the Fruit of the Spirit
When you speak in tongues, the fruit of the Holy Spirit described in Galatians 5:22 manifests. You feel love, joy and peace after a session of speaking in tongues.
Because speaking in tongues yields the fruit of the Spirit, there is no way it can be a sin. On the other hand, the Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death.
When you sin, you feel your soul dying. Sinning comes with the feeling of emptiness. If speaking in tongues was a sin, then it would also bring the feeling of emptiness.
But because it doesn’t, it means speaking in tongues is not a sin.
5. Ask God to increase your Faith
When all is said and done, faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit just like speaking in tongues. There is a lot you can do to build your faith but unless God gives you faith, all effort is pointless.
When your faith is weak, you get many doubts about the workings of God. When your faith is little, the rest of the space is filled with fear.
The devil capitalizes on the fear to question the little faith that you have. If you don’t ask God to help you, the devil can easily drain your faith.
Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer to ask God to lead us away from temptations. Why? Because temptations weaken our faith.
When the devil questions what you believe, you get tempted to give up your faith. If God stops the devil from questioning what you believe, you will have ample time to grow your faith.
Believing that speaking in tongues is not a sin and getting the gift takes faith. You must ask God to give you faith.
Is Speaking in Tongues a Sin? Conclusion
It is not uncommon to have little faith. The disciples of Jesus were victims of little faith on many occasions.
God understands that we are humans and He appreciates the little faith we have. Our responsibility is to build our faith in the things of God.
Speaking in tongues being a gift of the Holy Spirit requires us to have faith. When your faith grows, you will believe that speaking in tongues is not a sin.
May God increase your faith!